Simulated bowling game backstop



June 20, 1950 H. BLUFORD SIMULATED sowuns GAME BACKSTOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1949 vm T wv mm mm o 0 m O O o m m 0mm e E mm mm mm Q w wn vm r9 A9 H m vi M mm mu vv v R vw vw E kv/mm mm whom mm NW wk .0 mm L wk wk Q vm vm Nb \QW June 20, 1950 H. BLUFORD SIMULATED BOWLING GAME BACKSTOP Filed Jan. 27, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3.

Inventor Horace B/u ford Patented June 20, 1950 Horace Bluford, Virginia Beach, Va; Application January 27, 1949, sera1ito,; 73, 1 s

Thisinvention relates to new and useful im-- provements and structural refinements in games,

2 Claims. Cl. 273 *53) and the principal object of the invention is to provide apparatus for a game wherein a rolling projectile similar to a billiard ball is forcibly propelled by means of a cue so as to upset a plurality of upstanding playing pieces in the formof miniature bowlingpins.

This object is achieved by the provision of a" a runway similar to a bowling alley, one end portion of this runway constituting what may be referredto as a target region on which the playing pieces are positionable, and an importantfeature of the invention resides in the provision of a hood which isswingable forwardly and rearwardly over the target-region so that when it is in its forwardly swung position it protectively segregates this region from the remaining portion of the runway and not only indicates to the players that they should abstain from propelling the projectile when upset playing piecesare being erected, but also, the hood in its forwardly swung position effectively safeguards the person erecting the playing pieces from possible injury by an accidentally or unintentionally propelled projectile. i

Moreover, when the hoodis inqits rearwardly swung position it constitutes a deflector not only for the projectile, .but also for the upset playing pieces which, in the absence of the hood, would inevitably become scattered from the runway and 1:

possibly cause injury to bystanders.

Another feature of theinvention involves the formation of a sight opening in the hood, whereby the person designated to erect upset playing pieces may observe the movement of the players, regardless of whether the hood is in'its forwardly or rearwardly swung position.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision of side guards which extend forwardly from the hood along a portion of the runway and consequently prevent lateral disper-" sion of the projectile and playing pieces in regions of the 'runwaywhich are not protected 4 by the hood.

Some of the advantages of thefinvention reside in" its simplicity ofconstruction, in its lii ghly entertaining nature, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture. 1 v a With the above more importantobjects and features in view and such other objects and features asumay become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the construction and arrangement of parts as shown in the accompanying drawings in igh g Figure 1' is; longitudinal cross sectional "view of the invention;

Figure 2is' a cross sectional view, taken substahtially in the plane'ofthe line 2'2of Figa Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional'view showing-the rear-end portion of the subject illustrated'in Figure 1," but with the hood in its forwardly swung position;

Figure 4 ma cross sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 4--'l of Figure 1; and I Figure 5- is a fragmentary end View, taken ir the direction of the arrowt inFigure l.

Like characters of reference'are employed to designatelike parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in'detail, the invention consists of'a game apparatus designated generally by the reference character In, the same embodying in its 'construction'a runway or 'alley l2 assuming the form of a substantially U-shaped trough or channel and including abottom 14-, a pair of spaced, longitudinal side rails Hi, and a playing strip l8 which is somewhat narrow'erthan the "bot tom I4 so that-the longitudinal edges of the strip [8 are spacedirom the side rails-i6 to form a pair of longitudinallyextending side channels 20 which are out of bound and are not intended 1 to' b'e'used when the game is properly piayed.

The-side rails l6 extend downwardly beyond the bottom 14 as indicatedat 22 and are reinforced bya plurality of cross members 2:3 equipped with pairs of suitable legs 28 whereby the' entire apparatus is supported, as will be clearly apparent.- i

Thesiderails it at the forward end of the runway l2 are mutually convergent as at 2S but are spaced apart so as to provideian opening 38 whereby access may be had to the run-way strip :8 for the purpose of forcibly propellinga sphericalprojectile 32 (see Figure 1) similar to-a billiard ball bymeans of a cue 34 alongthe strip 18 toward a set of movable playing pieces as which are similar tobut smaller than conventional bowling pins and Which'are positioned 'onthe rear end portion of the runway strip l 8 which constitutes what may berefer'red'to asthe target region 33. y

A suitable arrow All may be inscribed or painted on the playing strip M3 for obvious reasons, and it willbe'obs'erved thatthe rear end portion of the runway 12; beyondthe terminus of'the playing 3 strip I8, is provided with a pit 42 which, in turn, communicates with a downwardly inclined return chute 44 through which a projectile may gravitate into a storage trough 46 located at the forward end of the apparatus (see Figure 1).

When the game is played, the projectile 32 propelled by the one 34 is intended to travel along the playing strip I8 and impact the playing pieces 36, the score being computed, of course, by the playing pieces; whichare upset; 'lZhe cut=., of'-' 10 bound channels 20 communicate with the pit 42, so that if the projectile deviates laterally from the playing strip I8 and travels through either of the channels 20 into the pit 42, no score'is counted. Since the upset playing pieces may fall into the pit 42, means are provided for preventingisuch upset pins from blocking the chute .44, these means involving the provision of a swingable'closure 48 which is pivotally mounted in the chute adjacent,- the pit 42 on a transversefshaft 50 and a suitable spring (not shown) is emplpyedior normally re taining the closure in its closed position to prevent the playing pieces 36 from falling into the chute 44. However, when it is desired toreturna pros; jectile through the chute 44 to the' trough 4 6, the closure 48 is manually depressed when the pro- 1 jectile is inserted into the chute, as will be clearly apparent.

In addition to the players of the game one per:; son is designated to erect the upsetplaying pieces ao and to return the projectile from the targetregion 38 through the chute. 44, this person being sta tioned, of course, at therear BIIdPOIiJlOIIlfifZ-gtl'lfiy apparatus.

The essence of novelty in the invention resides in the provision of a swingable hood 52-whieh is positionedabove the target region ,38 and embodies inits construction a pair of spaced sector-shaped plates 54 which are pivoted at theapices thereof by means of suitable pins orscrews 56 toa P311? 4o 4 of upright posts 58 which, in turn, are secured to; the outer surfaces of the runway siderails l6: by; additional screws 60. For purposes, of reinforcement, suitable straps '62 may be provided-ongthe inner surfaces of the siderails lfi and maybesecured in position by the same screws Ed the, straps 62 coacting with-the posts 58 to provide bearings for the aforementioned. pivot pins ;or screws 56, as will be clearly-ap paren-t The hood 52 also includes-initsrconstructi nra v convexo-concave .wall 64 whichconnects together thearcuate edges of. the 'sideplates-54, the wall 54 being equipped with outturned iront rear 1' edges or flanges. 66, 68 respectively as will be clearly apparent.

When the hood52 is. inits rearwardly swung position as indicated in Figures 1, 2 and4, it censtitutes an effective deflector whichprevents the playing pieces 35 and the projectile32irom seats-, tering when the playing pieces are impactedby. the projectile. It is-to be notedthat in this position,- the flange 68 of thehood 52 rests 'upon the rear end rail 10 of the runway |2,while the front-- flange 66-of the hood is upstanding as is best shown in Figure '4, thus providing a surface' bfl which maybe inscribed suitable rules forplayin'g the game. I

Since the runwa l2'is'disp'ose'd at such l'evelil that the hood 52 eiite'n'ds abovethe header the' 70$ attendant at the rear'of the apparatus, the wall is provided with atransversely'elongatedsight opening 12, disposed substantially at eye level..,, hen. hemed is swun it r e' sr r a s! wei gilp t usn o b ns the attendan t .nbse ra l'i to: without departing from the -sipirt 4 in either position of the hood, the movements of the players.

The wall 64 is also equipped adjacent the opening 12 with a handle 14 whereby the entire hood 52 may be swung to its forward position wherein the front flange 66 of the hood rests upon the upper edges of the side rails 16, as is indicated in Figure 3. In this position the hood 52 protectively segregates the target region 38 from the remaining portion of the runway.- I25 and .the front surface of the back flange 68 may be inscribed with a suitable legend to warn the players that upset playing pieces are being erected and, therefore, to abstain from the use of the projectile.

In order to safeguard against the possibility of the projectileorlplaying pieces from leaving the runwaystrip 18 before such dispersion could be prevented by the hood 52 in its rearwardly swung position, .a. pair of side guards 16 are provided, each of these assuming the form of a triangular net provided at the diagonal sidethereof withza tubular sleeve or hem 18 which, inturn, isthreaded one diagonal rod which hasone end'there-f of secured as at 82 to the side rails 16 while its remaining end is secured as at 84 to the posts 58.

It should, of course, be understood that two .of-- the rods 30 are provided, one at each-sideof the runway, and the remaining-sides or edges of the.

that the advantages and'lwe of,

will 1 as sis Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 of foregoing disclosure and, accordingly, further description thereof at this point is dee sary.

.Wh and described the preferred embodimentlof this med unneces-.-

lie in the foregoing there; has been invention it is to she understood that -minor;s changes in the details of construction, combina-" tion and arrangement ofv parts may beiresorted us, the combination of an and scope t-is claiined elongated runway having front 'and'rear messed including a playing strip whichextends longitu dinally to a point spaced forwardly from the rear end of the runway, a pit 'provided between'the rear end of the runway and-the'rear end of said playing strip, a rear end portion'of: said strip transverse axis disposed. substantially at the for- -ward end ofsaid target-area, and ahood=includ--- inga pair of transversely'spaced sector-shaped" plates having their ,apex=portions-. mounted "on the respective fulcrum elements, each plate having an outer edge anditworadial edgesof allengthw substantially equal to the distance of said fulcrum.

elements from the rear end of. the runway, and an outer wall having its opposite sideedges connectedto the outer edges of the respective plates,

said hoodbeing swingable from a rearward posithe latter from the remainder ofsaid playing" .striphc; a

The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said runway is disposed at such level that said hood extends above the head of a player at the rear end of the runway, and wherein the outer wall of said hood is provided with a transversely elongated sight opening disposed substantially at the level of the stated players eyes when the hood is either in its forwardly or rearwardly swung position.

HORACE BLUFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,257,069 Burke Feb, 19, 1918 2,035,204 Tazelaar Mar. 24, 1936 5 2,330,268 Cloutier Sept. 28, 1943 OTHER REFERENCES Westcott-Jewell Co. circular, 2 pages, published 10 April 2, 1898. (Copy in Div. 62.) 

